Psych eval worries

[Bethany Copley 35]

**UPDATE 02/16/16***

I had my psych eval done this evening. He said that he was highly recommending me for surgery! So relieved!!!!

I am really worried about the psych eval and whether or not i will pass. I am currently in counseling, in fact, Ive been in counseling for the last 10 years, to keep me stabilized. I take medication of depression and anxiety disorders, and also have a personality disorder.

I am worried. I am stable. I am medicated, and I want to be the best person i can be, even if it means taking it the rest of my life to manage my symptoms.

But this is putting me in an anxiety spiral.

Does anyone have any insight? or have any of you passed an eval with issues like my own?

Edited February 17, 2016 by Bethany Copley

[IncredibleShrinkingMan 437]

I am all of the above of your first paragraph. I passed it with flying colors and I could tell he was only interviewing me to check off the insurance requirement as well as the hospital's own formal requirement. It is in their best interest to approve you (more business), so unless you have any very worrisome attribute, I would not lose a second of sleep over this. Or the sleep study. Or anything else. Good luck!

[Bethany Copley 35]

Thanks Makes me feel a little better. Yeah, the sleep study has me trippin' but only because I have a hard time sleeping away from home lol

Thanks for help alleviate my worry.

[animallover1247 249]

I agree with the above reply. There's many people who have similar issues and are cleared for surgery. What they are looking for is to make sure you are stable and addressing your problems...and you are through therapy and medications. The psychiatrist or psychologist who performs the psych evaluation may ask to talk with your therapist since therapy is ongoing with you, or they may not.

There really is no reason to stress yourself out over it. Now if you had those issues and were not doing anything to address them, then I would say you should worry but that's not the case

Edited January 12, 2016 by animallover1247

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

@@Bethany Copley, from your telling, I'd be surprised if you don't get a pass from the psychologist. As has already been said, the purpose is pretty simple: To determine whether you understand the risks of surgery (all surgeries have risk, as you no doubt know); if you do and will understand instructions given by your surgery practice before and after the procedure; if you are capable of following them. Maybe whether you're motivated to follow through, too. You are all those things.

My own therapist at the time did my "evaluation." We'd been talking about my exploration of WLS. When I asked her to write a letter, she gave it to me the following week, all seven sentences of it, the last of which was the insubstantive "If you have further questions, feel free to contact me." It was painless and cost me nothing more than my usual session fee. You may want to look into this yourself. I've read in BP of people whose evals with shrinks recommended by surgery practices involved filling out all sorts of questionnaires and other things that strike me as nonsensical.; I don't know whose idea all the rigmarole is, but it's probably no more than some of the common diagnostic stuff. Check with the insurance coordinator at your surgeon's to see if this would be doable for you. Just a suggestion.

You'll be fine.

[shelly7 23]

Its not as bad as u think just think positive.

[SesaAlegria 12]

I agree with the other posters, you should not have a problem. You're stable and are aware of what you are about to do.

My psychiatrist who manages my medications just wrote up a paragraph saying I understand the risks and stuff, and I am capable of following through what I'm about to undertake. It was very banal and to the point.

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

@@Bethany Copley

I omitted from my note above that they also want to know that you have reasonable expectations of surgery, i.e., that it isn't magic and that you have to do the proper work to lose weight successfully.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I agree with what others have shared. I have rarely heard of anyone being denied outright. It is more likely that if there are any red flags they will suggest some areas you may need more support. The idea is not to keep you from surgery but to make sure you are as prepared as possible.

[Bethany Copley 35]

Thats great! My counselor said she wouldnt have a problem with sending in a letter of her support.

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

@@Bethany Copley, thanks for sharing that good news. (But I knew she would say that.) She's on your side.

[MollyF22 62]

I think your gonna be fine. The one I went too just made sure I didn't have any drug or alcohol problems or eat disorders. Your already taking medicine and ate aware for what's going on so I think it's gonna be okay. Good luck.

[maxbette36 6]

I "failed" a psych eval due to an eating disorder that I had not addressed...after 4 months of therapy my therapist cleared me for wls on her end. So glad that everything happened the way that it did.

[Bethany Copley 35]

I am being recommended for surgery, because I have demonstrated stability for the last 10 years!